49ers Offense – A crazy idea

Word is new coach Jim Harbaugh will leave the defense alone, particularly if he can get his experienced former NFL coordinator, Vic Fangio, to follow him from Stanford. The scheme will likely stay as a 3-4, and all Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke need to do is concentrate on the difficult task of acquiring some cornerbacks and pass rushers.

Offense is another story. One fear is Harbaugh will be seduced by running back Frank Gore, the potential of the young offensive line and do the same thing the two Mike’s (Nolan and Singletary) did before him – run the ball.

Colin Kaepernick could captain a 49ers spread attack.

It seems logical to do just that, particularly with a line that doesn’t pass protect and a gaping hole at quarterback. But this strategy has failed miserably. It’s the major reason the 49ers remain a winless lot for the last eight seasons and counting. It leads to boring, predictable and ineffective football. That’s why the creative Harbaugh needs to get crazy and this is the perfect place and time to do it.

San Francisco is the birthplace of offensive innovation – the shotgun formation, the Alley-Oop pass, the Bill Walsh, west coast offense. Why not eschew the NFL’s stodgy obsession with the run and install a college spread?

This might resolve the team’s persistent quarterback woes because the draft is annually stocked with spread quarterbacks. Auburn’s Cam Newton or Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick could be fetched easily in the draft. If the team needs a bridge quarterback they could sign Vince Young or stick Alex Smith back in the shotgun, where he usually excels.

It would certainly surprise defenses and the 49ers would avail themselves of players in the draft other teams don’t want – from spread quarterbacks to pass-catching tight ends to linemen who never learned to drive block. That’s how the 49ers not only succeeded under Walsh but also how they maintained their success.

In the early days of Walsh’s offense, the 49ers were able to collect smallish offensive linemen who could move, instead of the behemoths everyone else wanted. Instead of small and speedy receivers, Walsh preferred big and relatively slow ones. He didn’t look for strong-armed quarterbacks; he went for smart, mobile and accurate passers.

The NFL will eventually go to the spread anyway because that’s what high schools and colleges are doing. Harbaugh seemed to be the right coach to install it, even though he went with a pro style offense at Stanford. The reason is his creativity. Harbaugh moved his linemen like toy soldiers before the snap, seemingly to the point of ridiculousness. He had his quarterback AND his center wear wristbands with plays. He had as many as four different coaches calling plays in a single game.

This is evidence of Harbaugh’s devilish creativity, so why not make San Francisco the birthplace of another NFL offensive innovation? At this stage, what do the 49ers and their new coach have to lose?